When you have a group of characters that are together throughout a majority of a movie, or even just a bunch of consecutive scenes, it’s fine to refer to them collectively: “The four of them walk to the building.”

If intervening scenes don’t feature the group, it’s a good idea to mention the characters each by name remind readers who is part of the group.

When dealing with a large and well-defined group — such as a football team or a show choir — it’s fine to refer to them as a group. Readers will assume the whole group is present unless you specifically exclude someone.

Источник: How do I deal with a group of characters? | Screenwriting.io.

Television seasons are written by writing staffs, not a single writer. Individual episodes will have a credited writer — the person who actually penned that particular script — but the plot of that episode and the season as a whole are constructed by a room full of a staff of writers (known as the “writers room”), under the direction of the showrunner.

This room does not only write, but also produces: they cast, hire key crew members, have input into set design and the show’s overall feel — everything a producer would do, both for individual episodes and the series as a whole.

While the writer for any episode will be credited with a typical writing credit, the entire writing staff will be credited as producers for every episode of the season. These different producer credits correspond to what level writer they are — where they fall on the pecking order.

Executive Producer (the showrunner)

Executive Producer (any other non-showrunner EPs)

Co-Executive Producer

Supervising Producer

Producer

Co-Producer

Story Editor

Staff Writer

It should be noted that not all credited producers are necessarily members of the writing staff. For example, the line producer is usually given a producer credit, and other important executives or past writers (a show creator who has since departed, for instance) could be given credits as well, as could any other number of people.

It should also be noted that not all episodes are written by members of the staff. The WGA requires that every episodic show commission a certain number of scripts by freelance writers each season. The specifics can be found in the WGA’s guide to writing for episodic TV.

Источник: What is the television writer/producer pecking order? | Screenwriting.io.

If you want the viewer (and therefore the reader) to know that a scene is a (or is part of a) flashback or dream sequence, add the tag in brackets after the header.

INT. TOM’S BEDROOM – DAY [FLASHBACK]

If you don’t want the viewer to be immediately aware, omit the tag.

This advice also applies to any other alternate world that could crop up in a screenplay. If your story is about a writer, for instance, and we occasionally enter the world of the novel she is writing, append those scene headers with [NOVEL] or something to that effect.

With all formatting advice, your goal is to be as clear as possible without interrupting the flow of the screenplay, keeping in mind that your reader is acting as your viewer. If you are unsure, try to remove yourself from the process, read what you’ve written as though you are a third party, and see if it makes sense.

Источник: To indicate a flashback or dream, append the scene header. | Screenwriting.io.